


The Story of Arachne and Athena

by Jellybeans_On_The_Fly



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-28 22:47:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17191715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jellybeans_On_The_Fly/pseuds/Jellybeans_On_The_Fly
Summary: This is a telling of the popular Greek myth in my own words, as well as a way of me dipping my toes in the waters of sharing my stories with others. Please enjoy!





	The Story of Arachne and Athena

Arachne was a proud weaver in her town. She often proclaimed that she was “Better than Athena herself!” when it came to weaving. One day in the marketplace, Athena, the goddess of wisdom and crafts herself, took the appearance of an old crone and heard Arachne’s hubristic words.

“Be humble, as there are always those greater than yourself.” She warned the young woman. But Arachne was too proud to see her faults.

“What is there to be humble about when I truly am the greatest weaver in the world? Get out of my sight, you hag, and take your impeding words to someone more foolish than I!” She demanded haughtily.

“You should watch your words, Arachne,” Athena chastised, transforming back into a goddess. “You never know who might be listening!”

Arachne shrunk away slightly, then frowned as though annoyed at her own actions, and stood her ground.

Athena arched an eyebrow at her actions, then continued to speak. “Earlier you said that you were a greater weaver than even myself, the goddess of crafts. I would like to test that claim. We will each weave a tapestry that depicts the gods. Whoever’s is best will be proclaimed the best weaver in the world.”

Arachne, in her arrogance, agreed to the goddess’ challenge, and the test began. Athena wove a tapestry depicting the best of the gods. Their creations, conquests, and greatest achievements. Arachne’s, however, depicted not the good of the gods, but their faults and flaws. innocents struck down by a clumsy hand, masterpieces ruined, and oaths broken. But that was not all.

While Athena’s tapestry looked gorgeous, beautiful beyond belief, it still looked like just that, a tapestry.

Arachne’s, however. Arachne’s tapestry looked 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦. The waters seemed to ripple in the light of endless sunbeams. Limbs seemed to move, faces held love, lust and horror so real it seemed as though some of them would scream any second, and and the goddesses and gods seemed to glow with horrible power, greed, and otherworldliness.

The judge was in a horrible place by the time it came for her to chose one. On one hand, it was clear to her that Arachne’s was the best, on the other, to say so was to evoke the wrath of the goddess of war. Which to choose, which to choose?!

Athena, impatient with judges nervous back-and-forth stares at their artworks, snapped at the poor girl, “I demand to know your choice! Who has won?”

In a moment of shock and fear, she blurted out the truth; “Arachne has!” she instantly clapped a hand over her mouth afterward as her face turned an ashen gray.

Athena, furious that she had been not only been beaten, but bested in her own area of expertise, turned to the weaver, and in her anger turned Arachne into a huge spider. Since then, she has been known as the Mother of Spiders, and her tale is told as a warning against hubris to all people throughout the world.


End file.
